Close to You
by sweetandsimple1
Summary: Ino invites Sai to the new Italian restaurant in the village as a date. However, Sai's thoughts seem to be elsewhere.. My take on Sai and Ino's first date.


**A/N: I don't own _Naruto_ or the song 'Close to You'. Sai and Ino belong to Kishimoto, and 'Close to You' belongs to the Carpenters.**

Why _do birds suddenly appear ev'ry time you are near?_

 _Just like me, they long to be close to you._

Miss Beautiful wasn't attractive; not in his opinion, anyway. But.. there was just.. _something_.. about her. Maybe it was the way her eyes would crinkle when she laughed. Or maybe that gleam in her eye she'd get when she argued with her teammates. Or that lovely shade of red she'd turn when she got angry — not at him, of course, but when she was arguing with the Pineapple or the Fatty.

No, he decided. Miss Beautiful herself was not beautiful. But her face was a canvas, and the expressions she pulled on it — expressions that he himself could barely hope to imitate — those expressions were her form of art.

 _Why do stars fall down from the sky, ev'ry time you walk by?_

 _Just like me, they long to be close to you._

"What are you thinking about, Sai-kun?"

Her voice brought him back down to earth. She was talking to him — talking to him, during their outing together.

' _No_ ,' he thought to himself. ' _'Outing' is not the word she used. What was it, again? Dan.. Day.. Date! Date, that's the word!_

"I was just thinking that the song playing on the loudspeaker is very romantic," he replied.

"Is that _sooo_?" She crooned. Her eyes sparkled — was that a sign of interest? "Does it make you feel.. anything?"

"It's annoying," was his frank reply.

Miss Beautiful's eyebrow twitched — a subtle gesture that indicated annoyance, if his book was right. Sai made a mental note of that.

"Just kidding," he quickly said. He'd found that those two words worked as an extremely effective salve to tsundere females.

 _On the day that you were born the angels got together_

 _And decided to create a dream come true._

 _So they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold,_

 _And star-light in your eyes of blue._

Miss Beautiful shrugged. "Whatever." She slumped in her seat slightly, her eyes straying downward.. She seemed.. disappointed, maybe?

Taking up her fork, she began to pick at her spaghetti again. Spaghetti was Miss Beautiful's new favourite food — she liked the foreign dish especially when it was served with that red, meaty sauce — even if it _did_ leave splotches all over her face, sometimes.

Not that Sai was complaining, of course. It made her canvas even more beautiful — like abstract art.

 _That is why all the girls in town_

 _Follow you all around._

 _Just like me, they long to be close to you..._

"You've finished your meal already, Sai-kun?" Miss Beautiful observed.

"I have."

"Um.. was.. was it good?" Was she attempting to make conversation?

"Yes." A small smirk formed on his lips as he watched her eyebrow twitch once more.

"You had the lasagna, didn't you? I've never had that before. What did it taste like?"

"Good."

"You're an artist, aren't you, Sai-kun?" She exclaimed, frustrated. "Can't you be a bit more descriptive? You really shouldn't use one-word rep—"

 _On the day that you were born the angels got together._

 _And decided to create a dream come true._

 _So, they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold,_

 _And star-light in your eyes of blue._

Her lips, still slightly stained by the red sauce, moved quickly when she was irritated. Sai leaned in closer to look — closer — closer —

Suddenly, they were kissing.

Miss Beautiful's eyes widened in surprise — well, that was an expression he'd never seen before. At least, not this up-close. He rather liked it.

Her lips were soft against his. He leaned in closer, savouring the texture against his lips.

 _That is why all the girls in town follow you all around._

 _Just like me, they long to be close to you..._

Finally, they broke apart for air. Miss Beautiful's lips were red and swollen from their kiss — he liked that. Perhaps he should kiss her more often?

"S-sai-kun.." She breathed in wonder. Her face was turning pink — was she about to get angry with him?

"Just kidd—" she grabbed him by the collar and smashed their lips together for a quick kiss.

"Shut up and kiss me again," she muttered against his lips.

 _Just like me, they long to be close to you..._

...Maybe this song wasn't as annoying as he thought it was.


End file.
